


the Problem

by Lastelle21



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, F/M, Happy Ending, I love angst so there'll be some of that, Slow Build, rating may increase, spy AU, the spy au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-15 16:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9244178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lastelle21/pseuds/Lastelle21
Summary: Adrien should have known that his mission was going to wrong; luck never seemed to be on his side. Things could be worse: he could be dead, or tortured, or worse. At least his new companion was seemed to be on his side. He supposed it didn't help that she was also beautiful.





	1. An Unexpected Event

**Author's Note:**

> hello. Good Morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviews are welcome.

Adrien stared at his target through the telescope. The man walked into his kitchen, half naked, and opened the fridge, scratching his pot belly. Adrien shifted his position, trying to get comfortable. The man pulled out an empty beer bottle, tossed it into the uncovered trashcan, and pulled out a tub of orange juice and vodka.

 Disgusted, Adrien straightened his back and took a step away from the telescope. He wasn’t entirely sure how this man had access to the ‘highly valuable and sensitive information’ he needed, or millions of dollars stored in his bank account, but he assumed that any type of person could be powerful. Even, it seemed, drunk idiots. Adrien himself was quite hungry, and one more glance through the telescope told him Sebastien was leaning on the cabinets, waiting for a piece of bread to toast.

Adrien turned to look at the apartment he was using as his base of operations. It was nice, and rather small. His laptop was situated on the low, oak coffee table, next to piles of neatly organized papers and folders on not only his target, but the apartment’s owner, Marinette.  It had a worn loveseat pushed against the wall next to the front door, facing a decent sized TV. On the other side of the room, the small kitchen looked clean and new, but also used. There were two purple barstools next to the peninsula, and a rectangular dinner table.

Adrien adjusted his headset, and as he walked to the kitchen he looked at his laptop and saw that the cameras he’d planted in Sebastien’s apartment were still functional, as was the volume. He passed the small hallway with leading to the bedroom and the bathroom, and walked into the kitchen. In his headsets, he could hear Sebastien’s toaster ding.  Adrien looked into the fridge in the apartment, searching for something small he could eat without Marinette missing anything. Her food was neatly organized in containers. He listened as Sebastian moved through his apartment, munching on bread.

Adrien pulled out some milk, and looked through Marinette’s cabinets for a mug. He poured the milk into the mug, and put it back into the fridge. He took his drink back to the loveseat and sat down. On the laptop, Sebastien was in his room, fiddling with the buttons on a pristine white dress shirt. He buttoned up incorrectly, swore, and redid it while Adrien chuckled at him. Sebastien moved to stand in front of the floor length mirror. He combed his back in the same fashion he seemed to wear every day. Adrien sipped his drink as Sebastien finished dressing, and finally slipped out of his apartment at half past eight, consistent with his usual daily routine.

Sebastien’s car was on the third floor of the underground parking, and Adrien knew it would take him at least thirty minutes to get to work (Light traffic today.)  Adrien took another sip of the milk while contemplating his options. Knew he needed to search the man’s office and home. Adrien decided he would search the apartment today, because according to Sebastien’s secretary he had a very busy day today, and would return to his apartment until very late.

Adrien finished the milk and placed the mug into the sink; he’d wash it later. No need for Marinette to become suspicious, or worried about a haunting, for that matter. He grabbed one of his bags near the end of the sofa, and walked into the bathroom. He regarded himself in the mirror for a moment. He looked tired, dark circles starting to form under his eyes, and his hair could use a good, long, trip to the salon, but he supposed that was all in good time.

The outfit he picked for today was what he hoped was inconspicuous: a simple black turtleneck, since it was nippy outside, and a pair of dark cargo pants. He changed quickly, folding his other clothes into small squares and placed them in his bag. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed what Adrien suspected. He looked like a stalker. Sighing, he dug through the bag and pulled out what the beanie Nino had given him as a gag gift for Christmas. It had small cat ears on it, and Adrien grinned a little as he pulled it over his hair. Adrien exited the bathroom, and planted his bag onto the floor by the sofa. He then moved to the other side of the room, and hefted another, heavier bag onto the sofa. Adrien unzipped it, and regarded its contents.

The bag contained his stash of weapons, ranging from guns to knives. He considered what he needed. Hypothetically, this was just the searching aspect of the mission, the type that should never require heavy artillery, but when had his life ever been that easy? He grabbed a gun, for worst case scenario, and pulled his staff out of his bag. The cold metal felt good in his hands, and he smiled pleasantly at the feeling. It had been specially made for him, and Adrien figured if anything were to happen, he could just use that as protection.

He tucked it into his back pocket, aware that it certainly might look… peculiar if placed in his front pocket. Adrien checked his gun, making certain that it was loaded but the safety on, and put it into another one of his pockets. Ready to leave, Adrien walked towards the front door, and took one final glance at the apartment as he left.

The day outside was easily Adrien’s favorite type of day: the sky was a crystal clear blue, the sun shining, and it was freezing cold. He inhaled deeply, sharp needles pinching his lungs, and when he breathed out, his breath was a giant cloud, dissipating quickly. He stood on the sidewalk, wishing he was off today so he could go home and be with his cat, but he had work to do. Adrien took hiss time crossing the street, meandering down to the crosswalk and admiring the glistening cars as they idled in the road. A biker rode past him, bringing with him a rush of cold air. The sign changed to a pedestrian, and as Adrien moved into the road behind an elderly woman with a walker, he realized that could not feel his nose, and that his fingers were very stiff.

Once he reached the other side of the road, he pulled his beanie over his ears and stuffed his hands into his pockets. This side of the road was shaded, and infinitely more cold, and Adrien missed the sunlight. He walked past a pair of children passing a soccer ball between them as they walked, and stopped in front of the building in which Sebastien lived.

He walked up the few steps leading to the front door, and pushed it open. Immediately, warm air surrounded him, and Adrien could feel his fingers loosening up as he stepped inside. The lobby was small, with two torn up sofas facing each other making up the sitting area. This was something to note. The first time Adrien had visited, he had simply climbed up the outside wall and broken in, not taking the time to notice the décor. It certainly didn’t make sense to him why this man, with all his wealth, was holed up in a run-down apartment building just outside of Paris instead of the 7th arrondissement. A small desk was set up the near the far wall, and an old man lounged behind it, head lolled back onto his shoulders and eyes closed. Adrien doubted that he had woken the guy up from his midmorning nap and Adrien stalked over to the stairwell near the sitting area. He climbed up the first flight of stairs, keeping his footsteps light and easy, until he reached the second floor landing.

There was nothing worth noticing here, Adrien thought, except for the man smoking in the hallway. He nodded at Adrien, and Adrien nodded back, wary of this man’s intentions. Adrien liked to keep the killing to a minimum; three, maybe four bodies if need be, but this guy gave him a bad feeling. Adrien continued up the stairs, assuming that if the guy posed a threat, he would have done something by now. But he kept smoking, and Adrien kept moving.

The third floor showed nothing of interest, only a green bug crawling across the dim hallway. Adrien reached the fourth floor, sufficiently warmed up from the walk. There was only one door here, and he reached into one of his pockets to slip on a pair black and yellow striped gloves. As he squatted at the door, he figured he should’ve put them on during his walk but it was too late now. The lock on the door was a keypad, asking a combination of four numbers. Adrien glanced at the small camera he had stuck into the ceiling corner of the hallway. It had been a good idea to bug the hallway, if only to get the code to the door.  The door swung open, and Adrien was hit by the smell of wine left out too long and cheese gone rancid. Trying not to gag, Adrien stood up and stepped into Sebastien’s apartment, closing the door behind him.

In the daytime, the apartment looked nastier than it had when he’d broke in two nights before. There was a line of shoes trailing into in the bedroom, and articles of clothing littered the floor. Directly to his right, he the door to the guest bathroom was hanging slightly ajar, and Adrien pushed it open gently. The bathroom was dirty, a ring around the toilet seat and rust on the sink faucet.

Adrien wrinkled his nose at the sight, and let out a deep aching sigh. He did not want to search the bathroom, but the Academy had taught thoroughness and Adrien wasn’t willing to overlook anything simply because it was nasty. He rolled up his sleeves, and stepped into the bathroom. The lights in the bathroom flickered weakly when he flipped the switch, and Adrien swore he saw a bug dart underneath the matted rug. Grumbling to himself, Adrien set about his work. He scanned the bathtub, checked every part of the toilet, and looked under the cabinet for anything incriminating. Adrien was careful to leave everything just the way he found it, from the half open shower curtain to the tipped over bottle of shaving cream, its content slowly spilling onto the laminate countertop.

Adrien moved onto the salon and the kitchen area. It was as equally unkempt as the bathroom: sofa cushions not quite where they should be, cheap wine bottles strewn about the floor, and single euro bills seemed to be floating around the room. A vile smell was coming from the kitchen sink, where unwashed dishes seemed to be growing a mold colony. Adrien wondered vaguely if he had the wrong person, but his case assignment had been Sebastien Moreau, and that was who this was. Adrien continued his search of the apartment, starting from corner of the room to the other. He checked the sofa, the obnoxiously large television, the carpet in the room. The only thing he disregarded was the camera’s he’d set up around the apartment two days earlier. The kitchen and living room betrayed nothing, no hint of the intel Adrien was looking for.

Before going to the bedroom, Adrien paused at the window. He could easily see Marinette’s apartment from here, and if he squinted he could see the telescope aimed at him. Adrien turned away and moved towards the bedroom. By this point in his life, Adrien expected nothing less than the absolute worst, and was not at all surprised when the state of the bedroom matched the state of the rest of the apartment. Immediately, though, the first thing that stole his attention was the long bookshelf spanning the width of the room. Adrien scowled. It didn’t seem probable that a guy like Sebastian would read anything, or have a collection of books this expansive.

He crossed into the room, and squinted at one of the titles. Was that… Latin? Adrien pulled the book off the shelf. He began flipping through the pages, and gasped when he realized that the pages were blank. He put it back into place, and pulled off another one. The pages were blank in this one as well. Adrien sighed, and began what he would describe as the most tedious task in the world. He went across each row, pulling a book off the shelf and then checking to see it had something of value in it. Finally, on the third shelf, (Nearly an hour later,) Adrien pulled off a thick book. It was heavy, significantly heavier than the other blank books he’d pulled off the shelf, and Adrien got excited, just a little. He opened it, and instead of an empty page he was greeted with a picture of a strange box, with the top open and five strange looking creatures swirling out of it. Adrien flipped quickly through the book, and the pages turned quickly until it reached the middle of book, where pieces of folded up copy paper lay stuffed between the pages. Adrien turned around and set the book carefully onto the unmade bed, and pulled the paper out. The print on the page was small and inscribed, letters and numbers jumbled together and in some sort of code. Adrien flipped the paper over, looking for a key, and scowled. He folded the paper back up and put it back into the book.

Adrien figured that was all he was going to get from the apartment, but he would finish searching the room and the books. As he shook out the duvet cover on the bed, he wondered if he should take the book or leave it. If it he left it, he certainly would have more time to look, because he wasn’t certain that was what he was looking for.

As he tossed the blanket back on the bed, Adrien froze. It had been the faintest creak ever, but Adrien was immediately suspicious. He walked around the bed, and towards the book, and spun around to face the door. He pulled his staff from his back pocket, and watched as the door inched open.  

Adrien didn’t flinch as the door suddenly burst open, swinging around on its hinges to open bang against the wall. A man sauntered in, perfectly at ease in this environment. Adrien didn’t move, but he recognized the man from downstairs. He was the one who had been smoking a cigarette. Adrien swore quietly as two more men walked in behind Cigarette Man. He knew he should have killed that guy when he had seen him, he thought.

Cigarette Man smiled at him, his teethe yellow and rotted. “Hello, young man. I grew concerned after you didn’t come back down. I called my employer, and he is waiting for you outside of the building. If you step away from the book, perhaps he will be merciful.” Adrien rolled his eyes and waited for him to say something more, but he just crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. Adrien inched towards the book, and the two men behind him lifted up their guns.

“I won’t ask you again. You look awfully young, my boy. It would be a shame for you to die today. Go somewhere else. This isn’t for you.”

Adrien assessed the situation. The two men behind the guy didn’t seem highly trained at shooting, and the angle, halfway in and halfway out of the door, didn’t seem too convenient for shooting at wide angles. Adrien was confident in his ability to deflect the bullets, and stared Cigarette Man down, waiting for them to make their move.

For a moment, nobody moved, and Cigarette Man sighed. “I see you have made your decision. Kill him.”

Immediately, Adrien began to move. He extended the staff and began spinning it around, fast enough to deflect the two bullets that were aimed right for him The bullets bounced off of the staff, and the two men brushed past Cigarette Man. Adrien dove for the book the same time one of the goons did. The man reached for the book, but Adrien hit him squarely in the arm with the staff., and snatched the book up.

Adrien looked for an escape. The front of the building was blocked by Sebastien, he assumed, and the grimy window above the bed looked like an ideal escape, despite the four story drop.  Adrien started to move, but he felt a two pairs of arms wrap around his waist and lift him off the ground. He was brought down suddenly and, Adrien grunted, using his momentum to front flip.  The guy holding him crashed onto the floor, his legs taking his companion with them. Cigarette had started to move, but Adrien did not need any more drama. He moved quickly towards the window over the bed, book tucked safely under his arm, when several more bullet shots rang out. Adrien ducked instinctively, and the bullet crashed through the window.

Adrien wasted no time getting back up, and using the staff to clear away more glass. As he climbed on the bed, he faced Cigarette Man. He had at best thirty seconds before more of Sebastien’s men came around the corner into the alley, but he couldn’t help himself. He winked at Cigarette Man. “You can by tooth paste at the store. Smoking isn’t good for you.”

He chuckled as he fell out of the window, watching the as a bullet flew past where he had been standing moments ago. Adrien extended the staff to the length of the distance between the two walls, and came to a screeching halt two feet off of the ground. He dropped down just as three more people rushed around the corner of the building into the alley. Adrien rushed them, and they paused, unsure of what he planned to do. Adrien squished his book into the shoulder, and suddenly extended the staff and pole vaulted off the ground. He performed a complex series of   flips, and ended in a somersault. He glanced behind him as he ran across the road, and he saw Sebastien’s face contorted in rage. He ordered a few of the men who had barricaded the front of the building after him and Adrien focused all of his attention into running back to his set up operation.

He burst into the lobby of Marinette’s building, and he waved at the receptionist as he dashed up the stairs. He passed a mother helping that a small child down the stairs, and leapt up the next two flights. He could hear the men following him tumbling up the stairs, and the woman snatching up her child. Adrien burst onto the fifth floor landing, whirled around, and shut the door behind him locking it in place. He ran down the hallway, only slowing when he saw the door to Marinette’s stood only slightly ajar. He knew he did not have much time, but still he placed the staff back into his pants. He took the book and put into his right hand. He pulled the gun out of one of pockets, and inched quietly towards the door. He paused at the door, counted silently to three, and spun around, pointing the gun carefully into the room.

He was approximately three seconds from pulling the trigger, when he paused. Whirling around to glare at him, a wide eyed woman hesitated, and carefully put her hands up. Adrien swore quietly. She was wearing a red t-shirt with black polka dots, and a pair of light blue jeans. Her face was scrunched up, but the quirk of her eyebrows and the angle of her mouth suggested annoyance instead of fear. She matched the file he was given for Marinette. Right next to the door was a pink suitcase, and small handbag. Behind him, the door to the hallway banged once, then twice.

Adrien looked back at Marinette. “What are you doing here?”

Marinette scowled. “What do you mean what am I doing here? I live here.”

The door to the landing cracked, breaking under a great weight.

 Adrien pressed into the room, and closed the door behind him. He locked it, placed the book onto the arm of the sofa and turned to face Marinette.

“My name is Adrien, and I work with the DGSE. We have been using your apartment to watch a potentially very dangerous man. Unfortunately, my mission seems to have gone-”

Outside the apartment, the door falls off the hinges and lands with a dull thud.

“Terribly wrong,” Adrien finished. He moved quickly around the apartment, to the sofa to gather up his folders and information and laptop. “I’m really sorry about this, milady, but it looks like you’ll have to come with me.”

Marinette scowled. She had moved over to one of the barstools and was still standing, watching him warily. “Why?”

 There was a gentle knock on the door. Adrien winced, and put his fingers to his mouth. He grabbed his bag of clothes, the weapons, the info, and the book. He motioned for Marinette to follow him, and he walked into her bedroom.

He shut the door, and looked at Marinette. “I’m sorry but you have to come with me. If you stay, then the men currently attempting to break into your apartment will assume you are an accomplice and will kill you.” There was a second, louder knock on the door.

Marinette looked at him, anxious. “Why? Why can’t we fight?”

Adrien looked at her, incredulous. “Do you know how to fight?”

“Yeah,” Marinette said. The door banged again. Adrien sighed. He was not confident in Marinette’s abilities, and he didn’t need to protect her and himself at the same time. He walked quickly over to the window in Marinette’s room and peered out. Standing in front of the building, Sebastien stood, pacing and angry. Adrien peered around, and couldn’t see any more of his people. Adrien assumed they were in all in the hallway, attempting valiantly to break the door down. This was going to be difficult.

“Let’s not fight anyone. I’m, uhm, a fan of nonviolence.”

Marinette shifted. “What will we do instead?”

“Jump out the window.”

“Excuse me?”

Adrien dropped his clothes bag. He wouldn’t need it, the only thing worth any value was the beanie, which he was wearing on his head. “Do you have a car?” he asked. He opened the window, and gave Marinette one of his bags.

She nodded at him. “Yeah, I do.”

Adrien grinned at her. “Wonderful. Please take this bag and climb down the fire escape. Run to your car. The angry man on the street might shoot at you as you go down, but if you’re fast I’m sure you’ll escape injury. I’ll be behind you shortly.”

Marinette looked as though she definitely she did not want to do this, but she took the bag and began lowering herself down the fire escape. Adrien turned around, and faced the door to Mariette’s room, ready to fight.


	2. On the Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette begin their lives as fugitives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun facts! Adrien is about twenty-six and Marinette twetny five. Thanks so much to Lizlen and Ardenthayer for the comments, they gave me so much life.

The door to the apartment opened, and Adrien glanced behind him to watch the tip of the Marinette’s head sink out of view before pulling the staff out of the back of his pants.

He could hear people moving in the apartment, and Adrien took a deep breath, thinking, then the doorknob turned. Adrien moved behind the door, and as it opened fully he pressed himself against the wall, waiting. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, and Adrien took deep, silent breaths to calm himself down.

He counted three sets of bodies walk through the door, and stilled his breathing. If he was lucky, they wouldn’t notice him and he could be on his way. He heard someone call that they’d found Marinette’s suitcases. One of the people in the room shouted, “There’s someone climbing down the fire escape!” Adrien sighed, audibly, and kicked the door to the bedroom closed.

The three men in the room froze. One was leaning halfway out the window looking back over his shoulder at the sound. Another one was on his knees, checking under the bed, and the last had been leaning against the far wall.

With his blood pumping and adrenaline surging through his veins, Adrien wasted no time attacking. He probably had three seconds before other people came in, and he got to world. He rushed the first man, easily swinging his fist around to deliver a swift punch to his jaw, then another to his abdomen. He grabbed the man by his shirt, and swung him around, throwing him at the door that was being pushed open. The second man had pulled a gun out, and Adrien dodged one shot, then a second one, dropping into a roll to get closer to the man. He kicked at his legs, and he toppled over. Adrien kicked him soundly in the stomach, and ducked to avoid a swing from the guy who had been standing at the window. He grabbed his arm and hefted him over his shoulder, flipping I’m over. The man’s back hit the door and he slid on top of his comrade. Adrien locked the door, just to be petty, and he rushed over to the window and lowered himself onto the ladder.

He glanced down, and almost slipped off the ladder.

Marinette was engaged in hand to hand combat. Adrien must have missed someone when he had checked to see if Sebastien had any of his cronies nearby. He slid down the ladder as Marinette’s arm, shot up to block the other person’s arm from hitting her, and stared as she roundhouse kicked him in the stomach. Adrien’s original plan had been to protect Marinette as they made their way to the escape vehicle, but Marinette seemed to have it covered. He leaned against the ladder, and crossed his arms, deeply impressed with her skill.

The man doubled over, and Marinette delivered a final, punishing blow to his head. Marinette’s hair gleamed in the sun, and despite the bitter air a thin line of sweat trickled down her brow. As she straightened up Adrien thought he fell in love a little. Remembering the severity of the situation, Adrien hastily uncrossed his arms, and shouted at Marinette to run. She picked the bag up and slung it over her shoulder, before taking off down the street, towards a little red car. As Adrien chased after her, he risked looking over his shoulder. Sebastien was climbing into the passenger seat of his car, a lackey in the driver’s seat and three more in the back.

Marinette unlocked the car doors, and hoisted herself into the driver’s side. Lungs burning and legs pumping, Adrien chased after her, and by the time Adrien got to the passenger door she already had her key in hand, sticking it into the ignition. He wondered if it would be rude to ask her to please hurry up and drive away. He figured it would be. Marinette had dumped his bag into the backseat, and as she hit the gas he considered what type of gun would be best suited to this situation. His mind settled on the rifle.

Marinette recklessly steered the car into the traffic at the end of the street, running a red light. “That’s a ticket, you know,” he told her, grabbing onto the handle near the car door. Next to the handle he noticed the closed shade to the sun roof. In the rearview mirror, Sebastien’s car swerved around a minivan to follow them.

“I don’t think,” Marinette said, as she hit gas, moving the car forward, “that I ever signed up for this.”

Adrien glanced behind them. Sure enough, Sebastien was close behind them. One of his lackeys leaned out of a side window, gun in hand. “You did when you conveniently chose an apartment that gave us an opportune view into this guy’s apartment.”

 The bullet shots missed the car completely. Adrien chuckled at their poor aim. He glanced ahead, and noticed that coming up was a small bridge. Adrien leaned into the backseat, and opened the bag of guns. He moved stuff aside, until he found what he was looking for: a long distance performance rifle. “Does your sunroof open?”

Marinette’s eyes didn’t stray from the road. Her foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. “Yeah, why?” Adrien didn’t answer, opting to instead open the roof and unbuckle his seatbelt. He maneuvered himself onto the seat the same time they drove under the bridge. He ignored Marinette’s protests as he leaned out of the car, taking aim with the rifle. The wind whipped across his face, causing his eyes to tear up. He focused on Sebastien’s car, and waited. Once Sebastien’s car entered under the bridge, Adrien fired. Two clean, precise shots struck the front tires of the Mercedes, causing it to spin out of control and flip over. Adrien sat back down, closed the sunroof, and put the gun away carefully in his bag.

“Not to be rude, Ladybug, but could you please drive a little faster? I don’t feel like being arrested today.”

Marinette had been watching the scene unfold through the rearview mirror. Adrien could tell she was not pleased with any of this. She clenched and unclenched her jaw for a moment, and then asked, “Did you just kill those people?”

Adrien turned around. The car had flipped a few times, that he knew, but it had landed on its side. Seeing as how it hadn’t erupted in a fiery explosion, and assuming Sebastien and his cronies were wearing seatbelts, he was sure they were fiiinnneee. “No, they’ll live if they get out of the car before It blows up.”

The look Marinette gave him made it clear she was not joking around. He sighed, and settled into the car. “Yeah, they’ll be fine. I didn’t shoot to kill, and I did some simple projections of how the car would land.”

They came across a four-way traffic light. Marinette hesitated. “Where are we going? And what on Earth is going on?”

“Take the left, we need to leave Paris. I’ll tell you when I know we’re safe.”

Marinette flipped her turn signal on, and took the left, her fingers tight around the steering wheel. Adrien settled down next to her, ready for the long trip ahead of them.

……

Adrien had been leaning forward, seatbelt unbuckled, staring at the encoded piece of paper in his hands when Marinette firmly announced that she was pulling off the highway to get gas.

Adrien glanced at her meter, the dial stuck on empty. He had tried to delay getting off the highway for as long as possible, but he supposed this was going to be as far as they could get without a refill. Besides, they weren’t far off from their destination. Marinette turned into the first inconspicuous gas station she could find, and climbed out of the car. Adrien put the paper back into the book, put it onto the dashboard, and stepped out also. The air had gotten colder, he noticed. The sun was sinking down in the sky, casting a brilliant orange glow across the parking lot. Adrien turned to face Marinette, who was putting the gas pump into her car.

She watched him, for a moment. Adrien watched her too, watched the way her eyebrows scrunched down when she studied him, or the way her skin seemed to glow where the sun touched it. Abruptly, Adrien wished Nino had included that she was beautiful in her file.

Marinette tilted her head to the side and as the gas pump stopped pumping she nodded slightly. She put the pump back, and walked around to the driver side. Adrien glanced around the gas station for a moment. Nobody seemed interested in them, besides a chubby cheeked toddler in a car several pumps away. Adrien settled back into the car, and Marinette started it. She moved the car out of the lot and back onto the road. Adrien settled down, comfortable since they were moving again, but sat up when he realized they were going the wrong way.

“Uh, Marinette, the highway’s that way,” Adrien told her, pointing behind them. Marinette stared determinedly forward, the muscles in her jaw clenching. Adrien immediately grew suspicious. The realization that he had been in a car with a woman he hardly knew punched rather hard in the face. He scowled. Nothing in the file had included Marinette’s name with any criminal activities or under someone’s influence, but now he considered his options. For all he knew, Marinette could be working secretly for Sebastien, (which Adrien greatly doubted because Sebastien wasn’t all that smart) and he would have to defend himself against her. She did seem to be highly trained in hand to hand combat, a fact also not covered by her file.

The bag of guns was safe in the backseat, along with his staff. He tried to mentally calculate how long it would take to reach it, while protecting the book and fending off Marinette’s superior reflexes when he felt the car slow down. Marinette had pulled them into a quiet side of the road, with few cars and several scattered trees. He eyed her warily, wondering what her first move would be.

Marinette took her hands off the wheel, and turned to face Adrien.  He shifted to match her position, in case she was about to hit him. She looked almost unsure, but then seemed to steel her nerves and look him in his eyes. Her eyes, blue, sharp, and suddenly, incredibly angry.

“Look, Adrien. You seem like a cool person, with your cat beanie and stuff, and I’ve followed all of your instructions up to this point. But I have some questions that I really need answered before I keep following you blindly.”

Adrien let the tension seep out of his muscles, and relaxed again. If she wanted answers, he would try to answer them without revealing too much. He figured she deserved as much.

“Okay, I’ll talk, but I can’t guarantee I can tell you everything.”

Marinette’s face told him she’d expected as much. “Fine. First question: Why were you at my apartment?”

“Well, about two days ago, the Agency gave me a very vague mission. All I was supposed to do was watch Sebastien, the guy who was trying to run us over, and collect the highly valuable information he had. They didn’t tell me what I was looking for, only that he had it and we needed it. I was under clear instructions not to kill him, only to find and extract. Conveniently, your apartment was perfectly positioned to look into his and keep watch. Even better you were on vacation for the next week. Or you were supposed to be.”

“What agency are we talking about? What information?” Marinette asked. Adrien glanced out the window, observing the setting sun and the time passing. They needed to get to a safe house.

“I told you; I work for the DGSE. We’re in charge of internal and external security and espionage. As for the information, I had no clue what I was supposed to be looking for. They gave me the haystack and told me to find the needle.” Adrien told her. He tossed a look at the book on the dashboard, a movement Marinette picked up on right away.

“And did you find the needle?”

Adrien looked over at the book. He had not made any headway with the encoded script, and he hadn’t really looked past the cover. “I think I did.”

“So what does this have to do with me? You told me if I didn’t come with you I would be killed.”

Adrien crossed his arms thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s true. And not entirely incorrect. You were gone, so you couldn’t have known anything that was going on. You showing up at your apartment when I was being chased wasn’t exactly the best time. Sebastien’s people would not have cared or known that you were supposedly on vacation. They would have assumed you were partner, and either shot you on sight or, best case scenario, tortured you and let you go when they realized that you didn’t know anything. Taking you along was the safest way to make sure you weren’t killed.”

Next to him, Marinette digested this information. He waited patiently, wondering if they could move now. He was eager to get out of the car for the night. “What are your intentions?” she asked him after a heartbeat of silence.

Adrien scowled at that question. It was something a father asked his daughter’s boyfriend while she was grabbing her purse. “I suppose my primary concern is getting us to safety. There’s a safe house not far from here where we can stay for a night or two. I need to call the Agency, and contact someone I know. I need further instructions. We’ll have to proceed from there.”

It was starting to get too late for comfort, and Adrien wished they’d continue on, even talk and drive. After a moment of silence, Marinette sighed. “I guess I’m stuck, then,” she muttered, more to herself than to Adrien. “Alright, Chat, if this safe house is so close then please drive the rest of way.”

Adrien blinked at her. “You sure? I could be an evil mass murderer, leading you to your impending doom.”

“I highly doubt that. You’re wearing a cat beanie, and you haven’t tried to shoot me yet.”

“I think I look threatening in my beanie.”

he smiled at him, amused, and Adrien suddenly wanted to see that smile much more often. Adrien opened the car door, and got out, Marinette mirroring him on the other side. The cold air felt good on Adrien’s skin, cold, sharp, and refreshingly clear. He walked around the car, brushing faintly against Marinette on his way to the driver’s side. While Marinette got into the passenger seat, Adrien wondered what sort of situation he had gotten himself into.

…….

The last of the daylight had vanished by the time Adrien officially turned off the highway. He could feel the cold night air pressing against the car, searching for a way in. As they had been driving, Adrien had apologized repeatedly to Marinette for the situation she was in, and did his best to fill her in with what he thought she should know. After that, they talked quietly, mostly to avoid the uncomfortable silence that settled between them.

Adrien squinted into the darkness and turned onto a small dirt and gravel road flanked on each side by tall trees blocking any light that might potentially filter through. Marinette glanced at their surroundings, frowning. “Is this where your safe house is?”

“Yeah. It’s a little shady, but that’s okay.”  Adrien smiled at his pun, and one look at Marinette’s face told him she was cringing. Up ahead, the trees cleared out a little and a giant, looming house came into view.

“That cannot be a secret safe house, Adrien. Look at it. It’s enormous.”

As Adrien pulled the car into the driveway and stared up at the tall sun bleached wood adorning the front of the house, he couldn’t help but agree. “It’s really old, but government owned and mostly off the grid. C’mon inside.” He clamored out of the car, and reached back to grab his bag and swing it over his shoulder. Marinette got out of the other side, stretching her arms above her head. They walked up the steps leading to the front door quietly, and when they reached the door Adrien paused.

“They’re might be other people staying here, and if that’s the case we’ll be ambushed as soon as we walk in. But down worry, I can handle this.”

Marinette shrugged, and Adrien proceeded to walk over to a small potted plant, dig around the soil for a moment, and pull out a small key.

 “That’s awfully simple,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“Simplicity can be complex, you know,” he replied, winking. He unlocked the door as Marinette waited behind him. After about thirty seconds of not being shot at on sight, Adrien deemed it safe enough. He walked further into the house and Marinette followed.

He flipped on a light switch near the door. The entryway lit up, revealing a flowing staircase leading up to second story landing. The tile floor gleamed, and the wood looked recently cleaned. “Someone’s been here recently,” Adrien muttered. He looked into the kitchen to the left, and the family room directly to the right. Nothing was out of place.

Marinette shifted her feet. “What do you mean?”

“Unless forced to leave in a rush, it’s policy to leave a safe house clean. Get rid of fingerprints, and it’s just plain courteous.” Adrien walked into the kitchen. It was all very wooden, with dark granite countertops. A breakfast nook was nestled into the wall, right next to the windows. He dropped his bag there, and Marinette walked around, nodding. “My parents would love this kitchen. It’s very large.”

Adrien glanced over his shoulder at her. She looked almost sad, her shoulders drooping and the corner of her mouth turned down. It suddenly occurred to Adrien that despite being pretty cool about this whole ‘on the run’ thing they had going; she must have been thinking she would never see her parents of family again. Adrien immediately felt bad. It was his fault she was in this predicament. He contemplated walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug. Instead, his eyes focused on the landline behind on the wall. He stopped, and pointed at it.

“I assume you want to call them. Your parents. I guess you’re worried.”

Marinette glanced at the phone. An old, twisted cord hung from it. “Does it work?”

Adrien nodded. “It may look super old, and but it works. It should be safe, for the most part. He smiled at her, and she tentatively fought back. She went over to the phone, pulled it off the base, and began dialing. Adrien turned his attention back to the bag, but then spun around. “Don’t reveal any crucial info!” Marinette frowned. “What counts as crucial?”

Before he could answer, Adrien heard a muffled hello, and Marinette turned her attention to the conversation, brightening considerably. “I’m going to go inspect the bedrooms,” he mouthed at her. She nodded, and he walked out of the kitchen back onto the landing. As Adrien walked up creaking stairs, he listened to Marinette’ bubbly laughter on the phone.

The second floor landing was just as clean as down stairs. On either side was two bedrooms, a bathroom between each one. He went to the right first. The first bedroom was neat, the bed made and no personal items left anywhere. The room had a large bay window with a window seat, and a small desk pushed against the wall near the door. A quick sweep of the room revealed no cameras, bombs, or anything else that might potentially kill them during the night. As he checked the bathroom, he began making a mental list of everything he needed check. He had to confirm kitchen was stocked and nothing was poisoned, and that the weapons in the armory were still intact.

The bathroom betrayed nothing suspicious. It had a rectangular skylight over the sink, which Adrien found he quite liked. It smelled like bleach and air freshener, and Adrien had a sudden thought about what his mother used to say: _It isn’t clean until it smells clean._

Adrien was filled with a sudden, crushing urge to either cry or leave the room immediately. He chose the latter, leaving the clean bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He could still hear Marinette downstairs, talking to someone. She sounded happy, and Adrien paused for a moment, listening. He liked the sound of voice. It was jovial and light, and brought Adrien away from that train of thought.

He moved on after taking a moment and a deep breath. The remainder of the second floor landing seemed to have followed the second rule: don’t sabotage any other spies. He trod downstairs, satisfied. He popped his head into the kitchen to check on Marinette. She had somehow managed to maneuver a chair next to the wall without hanging up the phone, and was now talking lazily to someone.

She gave him a small wave, which he returned, before moving on. The living area had two plush, dark brown photos will three throw pillows each. The fireplace had a vase of wilted flowers on the mantel, next to a medium sized TV.  An elaborately woven rug laid on the floor, and a small table with a pen and blank notepad rested on the wooden surface. All the curtains were drawn, not allowing in any light. Adrien inspected the room, checking under the sofas and the corners. There was a bookshelf built into the back wall, and Adrien decided that that was where he was going to hide the book. Before he could look at the note pad, Marinette walked into the room, looking tired, but refreshed.

“Well?” Adrien asked.

“My parents are concerned, but glad that I called them. It seems, that our antics are making headlines.”

Adrien scowled. “What do you mean?”

Marinette moved to lean against the table by the window. “I mean that we are on the news, and currently being branded as criminals. My parents don’t believe any of it, of course, and they got increasingly suspicious when no police came to question them.”

Adrien swore. This was not a good situation, at all. Now, it was going to be difficult to move in public, if everyone thought they were terrorists. Marinette seemed nervous, tapping her fingers against the table. He figured she didn’t need this right now, and changed the subject.

“What did you tell them about the mission?”

“Nothing much. I said we were on the run from some pretty bad people, and that most of this is classified information of something. I called my best friend and told her the same thing.”

 “Your best friend?”

“Alya.  She’s a reporter, and I think she wants to help us somehow. She said if we need any research or anything, to call her. She also wanted to if you were cute.”

Adrien’s mouth curled into a Cheshire smile. “Am I cute?”

Marinette looked him up and down. “Yes, Kitty, you’re cute.”

Adrien smiled, triumphant. Marinette yawned, and Adrien wondered vaguely if he should be appreciating how Marinette’s nose scrunched up. He waited until she was finished before speaking up.

“I guess you’re tired; you can go to bed if you want. There are bedrooms upstairs, I’ll let you have first pick.”

Marinette tilted her head to the side, most likely pondering her options. If he were in her position, he would be wary about sleeping in a random house with a stranger. But on the other hand, all the excitement from today would’ve exhausted him. And suddenly, like a switch, he was tired. He felt it in the soreness of his muscles, in the drowsiness behind his eyes.

  "Yeah I’ll go to bed,” Marinette announced. Adrien nodded. They left the living room together, and Adrien escorted Marinette up the stairs while giving her a rundown of where everything was.

“There is a multitude of clothes in the closet. They come in various sizes, since we can never be sure who’ll be staying here. The toiletries, new toothbrushes and stuff, are under the sink. I’ll sleep over there,” he pointed to the bedroom across from Marinette’s, “if you need me.” He concluded.

Marinette leaned against the doorway to the room she’d chosen. “And what about you?”

Adrien crossed his arms. He wanted to sleep, but there were still things he needed to do first. “I’ll be in bed soon, I suppose. I still have calls to make, and stuff to check.”

Marinette pursed her lips. She did not look too pleased with this development. She stopped leaning and walked into her bedroom. Before the door shut, she gave him one last glance. “Don’t work too hard.” She said. The door closed, and Adrien stood in the hallway for a moment longer before going back downstairs to the kitchen. He took the seat Marinette had been occupying next to the phone, and put his elbows on his knees before sighing deeply. He took the phone off the base, and dialed a familiar number.

The phone rang twice before Adrien heard someone answer.

“Hello?”

Adrien sat up. “Nino?”

There was a cough, and then Nino replied. “Adrien? Dude, are you okay? They’re saying all sorts of heinous things about you on the news. Is Marinette really with you? What happened? Stuff never goes this wrong when you’re in the field.”

“Yeah, she is.” Adrien leaned back against the chair and got comfortable. He explained everything that happened, pausing once to get a glass of tap water. Nino listened patiently while Adrien told him about the events of the day, asking questions every so often. Adrien figured he must have been talking for at least half an hour before he finished.

“That’s going to be one hell of a report you’re going to have to fill out whenever you get back.”

“I know it is, So, It’s not looking so hot, but before it all went bad I think I found something important.”

“Really?”

“Are you still at the office?” Adrien asked. He pulled off his beanie, running his fingers through his hair.

“Aren’t I always? What did you find?” Adrien wished that this phone didn’t have a cord so he could get up and get the book from his bag. “You know how my mission was all very vague? I was supposed to be finding some important info, but no one told me what specifically it was.”

“Uh huh.”

 “Well, it’s a book. It has some sort of weird… creatures on the inside cover. Small… one of them looked like a cat, another one looked like a ladybug. I haven’t had much time to read the book, but I need you to research it. I know that isn’t a lot to go on, but can you see what you can dig up.”

Adrien heard the distinct sound of a pencil scratching on paper. “Okay, but no promises that I’ll find something. Anything else?”

“There was a piece of paper stuffed inside the book. There’s something on it, but it’s encoded, with no discernable key.  Can you call me tomorrow with resources for cracking codes?” There was a pause, and then Nino responded. “I can. Do you need me to do damage control with the press? Sebastian was crying all over the cameras. Pretty convincing act, if you ask me. He’s already out of police custody.”

Adrien twisted the beanie in his hands. “If it’s not too much trouble.” His next request made his stomach churn, and Adrien sincerely did not want to ask it. “I need to speak with the Director.”

Nino didn’t reply for a minute. “He’s out. He left a while ago, I haven’t seen him.”

Adrien let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he had been holding in. “Okay. Tell him… Tell him I need to speak with him. It’s urgent.”

“No problem, man. You… You could just call him yourself, Adrien. You have his own personal number.”

The thought of calling that man personally made Adrien shudder. He already didn’t want to talk to him, but his sudden disappearance from the office was not a good sign.  Adrien shook his head, and finally told Nino to call him tomorrow.

 Adrien put the phone back on the wall, and sat in the chair for a moment. He felt tired and anxious, and he knew he needed to get to sleep. Adrien got up, stretched his sore back, and walked over to the table. He dug around for a moment, and pulled his staff out from the bottom., along with the book. He left the kitchen, turning the light off on his way out. Before he headed upstairs, Adrien took the book from his bag. He made sure the paper was still folded up in the book, and walked into the living room to carefully wedge it between a dictionary and a book labeled ‘Infectious diseases from A to Z.’

He checked and made sure the door to the house was locked, and made his way upstairs. The bedroom opposite of Marinette’s was an exact replica of hers, from the placement of the bed to the bay window on the other side. Adrien went into the bathroom. Under the sink he found a packaged toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.

Adrien went through his usual nightly routine: scrubbing his teeth vigorously and scrubbing his face ruthlessly. Adrien looked at the shower in the mirror, and decided he’d take a shower in the morning. He left the bathroom, and walked into the bedroom. He stripped off his turtleneck and jeans. The closet produced a large pair of sweatpants that he pulled on. He collapsed onto the bed. And shifted around until he was comfortable, laying down on his back. As Adrien stared up at the bland ceiling and reflected about the events of the day, he drifted off into a deep sleep.


End file.
